George Q. Turner to his father - May 5, 1863

Sparta Tenn.
May 5th/63

Dear Father

I have been unusually silent for some time, but excessive press of business must be my excuse. I stay'd with Frank until I could endure it no longer. And when the command came in to prepare for a long scout although Frank could not get relieved from teh command of the waggon-camp, I resigned my adjutancy, left him Lem, took a couple of blankets, a change of underclothes and my old posish in the ranks, and left, we all thought, for a tour into Ky. Going around the left wing of the Enemy, passing between his outposts and the Cumberland river, we reached Lebanon and occupied it for several days. While there it was determined to catch and destroy a train on the Murfreesboro and Nashville R.R. And ten picked men from each company of the Rangers and a company of the 11gh Texas were sent under the command of Col Ferrill. We were ordered up at midnight, went out on the Nashville pike 8 or 10 miles and turned off through the cedars, passing through and around plantations, and fording Stone River we found ourselves on the RR about 7 or 8 miles from Nashville, and in the neighborhood of a large stockade defended by a force of Infantry. Several men crawled down to the track adn tore up one of the rails just around a bend in the road. the rest of us lay in ambush along a fence that ran parallel with the road and about fifty yards distant. We soon heard the Locomotive and a minute afterwards it came in sight snorting along unconscious of any danger. 40 or 50 of the guards were standing or sitting on the top of the Cars, below they seemed to be full of passengers, just as the Engineer saw the broken track and whistled on the breaks, we fired, some at teh guard on top and the rest at the windows and platforms; they returned the fire in an instant and jumping out and rallying behind the Cars were about to make us a stubborn fight, when the old Col ordered a charge, and down the bank we rushed with a yell, which made them take to an open field. Some of us chased them across it into the woods killing several in teh pursuit. A Yankee Officer was killed just as he was getting over the fense. One of the old 11th was after him and ordered him to surrender but he only replied by hacking at him with his sword, and Texas dropped him in the fense corner with his sixshooter. The rest of the boys dragged the wounded out of the Cars, secured the prisoners (106), helped out the Ladies, two Michigan dames, ripped open the mailbags, trunks and boxes, and tumbled out the iron safe of Adams Express and bursted it open with rocks. All this was done before one could pass leisurely from one end of the Cars to the other; we then set fire to the train, trotted off our prisoners, and a couple of the boys very gallantly took the Ladies up behind them and carried them to the first house. After getting over their fright, they expressed themselves satisfied with teh sudden change in their programme, for two very good reasons said they, first that they came off without even a bullet hole through their calico and secondly that their curiosity in regard to the Texas Rangers were satisfied. viz—we were white men, good looking, and did things with a vim. We took 12 Officers 2 Cols, 2 Majs, Lieuts, &c, about $20,000 in greenbacks, old Rosy's (Rosecrans') pistol just presented to him by his Officers. We had just regained our horses when the Infantry from the Stockade came up and poured a volley into us. Taking our Yanks up behind us we galloped out of the way. I was sent on in charge of a picket to watch teh pike which we had to cross. Which I did by throwing out videtts up and down the pike. There were large forces of Cavalry near by and we had to work with caution and dispatch, the prisoners were confident of being re-captured, so much so that, after crossing the river and trotting them on foot about 14 miles, one-half of the Officers refused to be paroled. I forgot to mention that there was abord of the Cars 36 Rebel prisoners going to Nashville. We (unfortunately) killed two of them but set the others at liberty. It was about sundown when we left the Cars and we rode till midnight, when we fed our horses and slept a couple of hours. We then mounted and passed out of their lines about 10 O'clock the next day. We all had plenty of Yankee letters to read and rare specimens of epistles they were. As any evience of their morality at least seven tenths of the letters from the soldiers and Officers to their wives and sweethearts were too coarse and vulgar for our Ladies to read. We are hard up for forage for our horses and we are actually robbing good Rebels of their bread, to feed our stock on. Our Army has been advancing for about a week, and we are trying to get a few days rations ahead for the battle which we expect to come off every day. Frank is advancing as well as the army—Old Harrison has got him on his staff as Acting Adjutant General. After the fight, Wharton and Harrison will be promoted, and Frank's appointment be confirmed, without some accident. Nothing like oncompetency will prevent it, as he is taken for efficientcy and not for any love old (iron-clad) Harrison bears him. He is separated from us and I have not seen him since his appointment. Lem has been sick, but is now well.

Affectionately yours
George

Turner, G. Q., "Batchelor-Turner Letters, 1861-1864," annotated by H. J. H. Rugeley. The Steck Company, Austin, TX 1961.